Refusing to accept as true theories and explanations for which there is
insufficient or ambiguous evidence and recognising that withholding belief
is a preferable position to accepting claims for which there is
insufficient evidence.

In seeking explanations, to prefer the ordinary to the extraordinary,
the natural to the supernatural and the simple to the complex.

Q: Explain "Miracle" shortly and surely
state the related specific social incidents of following miracles:

a) Short time death, stopping heart beat.

b) Making Vibhuti (holy ash) from air and coin.

c) Vibhuti produced from Satya Sai Baba's photographs.

d) Producing fire by mental power in the Yagna Kunda.

e) Transforming water into wine,honey, petrol etc.

f) Lifting heavy weight on finger tips by four persons.

g) making a heavy person climb on another who is made
stiff and sleeping on two chairs at his head and feet.

h) levitaion in the air 5 or 6 feet.

i) Lifting a vessel filled with rice with a knife.

j) Sleeping on a sharp nail bed.

k) Piercing the tongue with a sharp trishul.

l) Walking on fire.

A: Miracle is something done by supernatural powers.
Mysteires are "natural phenomena" about which we do not know
anything. But we have been believing "Mysteries" as miracles as we
did not know what was behind them.

a) Short time death, stopping
heart beat : One can stop heart beat by breathing air inside
fully and trying to exhale the air without exhaling. What generally done by
god-men is only to stop pulse at the wrist. This is done by stopping the
flow of blood to the hands by keeping a lemon, or a small ball or a rolled
hand kerchief in the arm pits and pressing. Doctors donot in the confusion
check the heart beat but check the pulse and confirm that the pulse is
stopped. The god-men show this trick to make people believe that by
practising yoga and pranayama a person can stop the breath and heart beats
and still be alive. This is to prove to the people that they are above
normal human beings.

b) Making Vibhuti (holy ash)
from air and coin : No one can create any matter from nothing or
from air except by physical and chemical reactions of a matter which can
only transform one matter into another. This phenomena of creating anything
from nothing is against the theory of conservation, "That matter and
energy are two sides of the same coin and they can neither be created nor
destroyed." This theory is taught to us in the High School Classes. To
get ash one has to burn firewood, or cowdung or paper. The ash so made has
no smell unless perfume is added to it. The godmen like Satya Sai Baba claim
to create anything from nothing. When they produce vibhuti or some other
thing, it has to be hidden in their hands or the body, as they make the same
movements of the hands and the body like a magician. No godman so far in the
history of Mankind has created anything without the movements of hands and
body and by clearly showing their hands empty and then create something
without any movement. The godman's devotees argue as to how vibhuti which is
in powder form can be hidden in the palms when the palm is kept down and
moved in circles. They think that when the hands are kept palms down, the
ash being powder would fall down and come to a wrong conclusion that the
godman has really created vibhuti. What the godmen do is, that they mix
perfume in the ash or purchase perfumed ash and make a dow by adding starch
solution (Kanji water is the best) and then make small balls and dry them.
These balls are hidden between the thumb and the pointing finger and after
circling the hand palms down and while raising the hand to produce vibhuti,
bring the vibhuti ball to the finger tips, powder the same and give it to
the devotee.

The vibhuti from coin is produced by chemical reaction.
One Vilas Baba of Phelton Village in Maharashtra challenged me through
newspapers in 1982 when I was touring Maharashtra, that if I prove that his
miracle of producing vibhuti from coins is a trick he is prepared to pay me
Rs.5 lakhs. I accepted the challenge and agreed to meet him on the last day
of my tour, as my lecture programmes were already arranged at the rate of
four programmes a day and in between we had to travel more than 200 km.
every day and the schedule was so tight. But the godman replied saying that
his soul is going to Himalayas for penance and will be back only the next
day of the date fixed by me. As it was a matter of Rs.5 lakhs, I agreed to
the next day by extending my stay in Maharashtra by another day. I went to
Phelton on the day and time fixed, but the godman was missing. He had left
the place bag and baggage and has not so far returned back.

One can produce ash like matter only from alluminium
coins. You ask someone to give you 5, 10 or twenty paise coins and as if you
are reciting mantra rub the coin with mercuric chloride solution and blowing
on the coin. Then handover the coin to the person asking him to keep the
hand closed with the coin. Send mental power to the hand and the coin would
be hot (by chemical reaction). Then when he opens his fist, grey matter is
seen appearing on the coin which has been produced by chemical reaction of
mercuric chloride an alluminium and water. People believe that it is holy
ash. The grey powder continuously forms on the coin for hours together
according to the quantity of mercuric chloride used on the coin. Even when
one removes the grey matter, still it start forming again.

c) Vibhuti produced from
Satya Sai Baba's photographs.: Actually vibhuti does not fall
constantly from the framed photographs of Satya Sai Baba. To know if really
vibhuti forms on the glass, unless one removes a portion sticking to the
glass it cannot be known. What is done is, ash is mixed in starch solution
and sprayed on the glass except the face. The man in whose house vibhuti is
forming on the photos does not permit any one to go near them or touch them.
They say that if any one touches them with an intention to verify the truth
the vibhuti stops forming! What is done is the top of the photo frame is
hollow and is filled with vibhuti, while the glass is fitted loose. When the
ceiling fan is switched on, the ash stored in the photo frame top flies and
people think that really vibhuti is falling from the photos. This could be
exposed by removing a part of the vibhuti pasted on the glass and see if it
again forms there and by stopping the fan. In one house of an advocate at
R.S.Puram, Coimbatore where this claim was made, I had to wait for more than
two hours as there was power cut and only when power came, I was taken to
the prayer room to see the vibhuti falling from the photos of the godman.
When I came out the fan was put off, but I suddenly turned around to see if
vibhuti was still comming from the photos, it had stopped!

d) Producing fire by mental
power in the Yagna Kunda. : It was Sadachari Sai Baba who
produced fire in the Yagna Kunda by his mental power at Delhi in 1980 or 81.
The Yagna was said to be conducted on behalf of our late Prime Minister Mrs.
Indira Gandhi. Wood scraping was in the Yagna Kunda and a spoon full of ghee
poured over the wood. Then the swami sent his mental powers through his
eyes, when smoke started comming and when he sent mental powers through his
hands by circling his hands over the fire wood a fire came. What he had done
was, he had hidden secretly pottassium permanganate below the wood scrapings
and what he poured on the wood as ghee was glycerine. When pottassium
permanganate and glycerine came together chemical reaction started, oxygen
and heat was generated and smoke and fire was produced. But the people who
attended the Yagna - they were scientists, Professors, judges, Ministers,
politicians and government officials etc., - fully believed that the swami
produced fire by his mental power and emptied their pockets, and within
three days yagna, he made over eighty four lakhs of rupees. He had been
recently arrested for murdering his first wife.

e) Transforming water into wine,
honey, petrol etc. From time immemorial religious texts tell us
about transformation of one matter into another by supernatural powers. In
Bible, Christ is said to have transformed water into wine. The present
godman like Satya Sai Baba also transform water into petrol, honey, amritha
etc. One thing we should remember is these claims of transformations with
their alleged supernatural power is done only in their own vessels. (Read
the bible story, THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST.JOHN - Chapter 2.)

And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of
Galilee: and the mother of Jesus was there:

2. And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the
marriage.

3. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith
unto him, They have no wine.

4. Jesus said into her, Woman, what have I to do with
thee? Mine hour is not yet come.

6. And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after
the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins
a-piece.

7. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water.
And they filled them upt to the brim.

8. And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto
the governor of the feast. And they bare it.

9. When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that
was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the
water knew:) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom.

10. And saith unto him. Every man at the beginning doth
set forth good wine: and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse:
but thou hast kept the good wine uptil now.

11. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of
Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.

Your will find that when water was brought Jesus could
not transform it into wine, the water had to be poured in the 6 stone jars
kept ready at the home. Why could he not transform water into wine in the
same pots the water was brought for filling the stone jars? It was because
these were special jars where the wine was already stored and the water
poured in them did not come in contact with the wine. Though I was not
present when Jesus Christ was said to have transformed water into wine, one
could know that this transformation of water into wine was nothing but a
trick. If I would have been present then, I would have asked Jesus to dip
his finger into a well and transform the water in the well into wine, so
that even now we could have gone there and tasted the wine and exclaimed
that Jesus really had supernatural powers. This is what we also now ask
godmen like Satya Sai Baba. Let them dip their fingers in the dry wells and
tanks and let perennial supply of water sprout out from them. Instead of
transforming water into petrol or honey or amrita or wine in their own
vessels, let atleast one well water be transformed into petrol or honey, or
amrita or wine. No godman can do this nor have any one done this so far.

f) Lifting heavy weight on
finger tips by four persons. A sandstone ball of about 14"
diameter is lifted by five, seven or eleven men who sing the name of saint,
Kamarali Darvesh who is buried in the durgah at Shivpuri about 25 kilometers
from Poona. The saint had died 700 years ago and is said to be buried in
that durgah. This was considered to be a miracle and we exposed the same by
lifting such stones on finger tips with just four persons. Lifting a weight
on finger tips by people is based on the fact that all people use their
force at the same time and lift up. Then upto 150 kgs. can be lifted by four
persons using 8 finger tips. They also do not feel the entire weight as it
is equally distributed on their eight fingers. Another fact is that the
raising of the weight is done on the principle of leverage.

g) making a heavy person climb
on another who is made stiff and sleeping on two chairs at his head and
feet. The trick of taking a heavy person on the body while he
remains stiff with his head and legs resting on stools and the middle
portion without any support is also based on the body knowledge. Any one
when he is stiff without any support in the middle can take a weight of
about 250 kgs. without strain and collapsing. One leg of the person is on
the thigh and the other on the stomach and the weight is balanced while the
knee joints become stronger by the weight and there is no joint on the
stomach. It is the fear which makes the person who is stiff to collapse. For
this we have to give a suggestion to the person who is made stiff to keep
his eyes closed and open them only when he is asked to open in which case
you will take the responsibility as nothing would happen even if an elephant
climbs on him and he will not feel the weight also. But if he opens his eyes
if something happens you will not be responsible. If he keeps his eyes open
and sees someone who is stout climbing on him, the fear in him makes him
collapse even before the person climbs on him. If a person is fearless and
lies down on two chairs without any support in the middle and becomes stiff
by himself, he can take a weight of 250 kgs. on his body easily.

h) levitaion in the air 5 or 6
feet. The trick of levitation done by godmen and street magicians
is to prove that they have "Ashta Siddhis" practicing patanjali
Yoga. They do not levitate visibly but hide their complete body with cloth
except their head. If they are really levitating, why do they hide their
body unless it is a trick? They hide two bamboos to the length of their body
from neck to feet. These bamboos are held in their hands after their body is
covered by a sufficiently big cloth, and their face is seen protruding
through the hole made in the cloth which hides the body. At the time of
showing the trick from the lying position, they sit and stand with the
sticks in their hands in horizontal position which seems as if the body is
floating in the air while the person really stands inside the cloth.

i) Lifting a vessel filled with
rice with a knife. Lifting a vessel filled with rice by putting a
knife inside the rice is done by Tantriks (Sorcerers) to remove the bad luck
of their customers, and also in temples. In Draksharama, in Andhra Pradesh,
there is a temple which has a six feet naked idol of the god Kalabhairava
installed. Each temple publicises different miracles or supernatural powers
to attract people. In this temple if married couples who have no children go
and pray they beget children. More than 90% of the couples who had prayed
there are said to have become pregnant and had children.

When the couples who have no children go there, the
priest would look at them and tell that they did not get a child because of
the "Shani Dasha" or bad luck. Then for removal of this bad luck
they have to do Prayaschitta Puja which would cost them thousands of rupees
according to how rich they are. After payment of agreed amount, the puja
starts with a pot filled with rice and while chanting the mantras he inserts
the knife into the rice dozens of times half way and then suddenly he
presses it stright down and the pot rises up with the knife. The knife gets
jammed in the rice. Then the lady has to have sex with the naked idol inside
the sanctum sanctorium. With the doors closed it is utter darkness inside
and sound proof. 90% of the ladies get pregnant after visiting the temple
for about a fortnight. This was exposed in 1981 when a lady hit the person
who came to the front from the back of the idol by the wooden plank used by
the priest. He fell down and along with his falling, the sexual part of the
idol also broke and fell down. The photo of the idol with the broken linga
was taken and the trick exposed. What happens inside, the sanctum sanctorium
is that a person rapes the lady and if she is healthy and fertile she gets
pregnant.

Regarding the miracle of the pot of rice rising along
with the knife, the pot has to be curved at the neck and when the rice is
jammed by the hitting of the knife a few times to the half of the pot, and
then suddenly pushed down straight, the knife gets jammed and the pot can be
raised along with the knife. In earlier days Satya Sai Baba also have
blessed dozens of married women with children.

j) Sleeping on a sharp nail bed.
Sleeping on the sharp nailed bed of nails is also done by Yogis to show to
people that by practice of Yoga nothing can harm their body. They also sleep
on thorns and glass pieces. What is done is that 3" nails are fixed on
a plank 1/2" apart and the godman sleeps on the nail bed slowly without
giving much pressure to the sides of the bed. The nails being very near will
naturally act as a bed and will not enter the flesh as the body weight is
equally distributed on the nail bed. Unless there is strong sudden pressure
the nails cannot enter the body. Another nail bed prepared in the same
manner is placed above the body and any one from the audience is asked to
climb on the top of the nail bed while the godman is lying in between the
two nail beds. The person who shows this trick takes the weight of the
person on the top nail bed, on his elbow joints which is pressed on the
ground, while he holds the top nail bed on his palms. If a person suddenly
with a jerk climbs on the nail bed by pressing on the side of the nail bed,
the person in between the nail beds is sure to get hurt.

k) Piercing the tongue with a
sharp trishul. Pricking the tongue and cheeks are done as a
propitiation to the god Subrahmanya, son of Shiva, of the trinity. Where
ever there are no bones and if one could bear the pain knowingly can pierce
his tongue or cheeks with sharp Trishuls which are well sterilized and if
one takes the precaution of getting oneself injected with Tetanus Toxoide.
The pain is bearable if one is fearless. Otherwise the ladies would not have
pricked their ears and nose to beautify themselves with gold ornaments.
There are also tricksters who use gimmicked Trishuls to pierce their tongue
and cheeks, but no one can pierce their neck or heart or stomach which is
generally done by muslims and they use only gimmicks for these feats.

l) Walking on fire.
Walking on hot coal bed is based on several factors. The first factor is the
time taken for getting our skin burnt in a particular heat, the atmosphere
i.e. the breeze, coolness, and the dampness. One way is to put rock salt on
the hot coal bed which attracts moisture and so there is no sudden burns if
one walks within 3 seconds. The other which is generally done in places of
worship is that they wash their feet and body with lots of water in front of
the hot coal bed and goes around the hot bed praying many times when their
feet get a coating of wet clay and until the water in the clay gets
evaporated, they won't get burnt. If one is afraid and tries to jump or run
on the hot coal he is sure to get burnt as the red hot coal would then stick
to his feet.

Q: Give some examples as to how you expose the claims
of paranormal exactly

A: The way in which I expose miracles, is by collecting
as much as information on the miracle, then observe the miracle once, twice
or many times and find out the trick behind it. By watching me constantly
you have been able to find out one of the ways of creating again the same
burnt note. I am happy that with your intelligence you will be able to
expose any miracle. The thing is to watch and reason out why they do each
thing each move, and you get the answer. I am also happy that my visiting
West Bengal has helped hundreds of youths to start thinking.